Travel Guide Parque Nacional Celaque

The Celaque mountain is the highest point in Honduras at 2 849 m above sea level. The summit is covered by a dense cloud forest and has a large population of caimans, the emblematic bird of Guatemala. The word celaque means lenca'water box ', referring to the eleven rivers that have their source on the flanks of the mountain. We recommend that you spend two or three days in the park to explore the different trails to observe flora and fauna (with great luck, it is possible to observe jaguars). It is also possible to hike a few hours around the visitor centre and to fully appreciate the environment, even if the sempervirente forest is more on the heights. Some indications about walking time between the various benchmarks: the visitor centre is approximately 30 min from the entrance. Then it is not so easy to find its way (the map of the visitor centre is somewhat random). Don't follow yellow marks, anyway! The river must be crossed twice. Take 1 hours from the centre to a rest area at 1 800 m altitude (blue and red marks), then 1 h 45 later, you will be able to reach the famous "shack" of Don Tomás. After 1 p. m., we arrive at the second camp: this part, in arduous slope, is the most delicate. A drinking water course is welcome. You still have about 2 hours of walking to win the summit, the last half hour being quite difficult also. Don't expect a 360-degree view from the top, with the top covered with vegetation. In reality, the climb is more suitable for the landscapes crossed than for the summit itself.Note: many travellers believe that the only interest of the park is to win the summit (Cerro de las Minas). However, many other walks are possible. A small detour to a pretty waterfall, for example. Climbing at the top involves at least two days of hiking and even at a steady pace, it is not advisable to go back to one day: your knees may cause you to suffer for a while. We were able to win Cerro from las Minas and go down to Don Tomás camp the evening, before returning the next day to the village of Gracias. However, one Council: camping in El Naranjo allows a real approach to the ambient environment and caimans (the fauna in general) are especially visible in early morning, very early.